Business: Eat on the Go with the McBike

McDonald’s latest advertising campaign seeks to build a healthy-cool brand image that has become increasingly popular in the world of marketing (and the world in general). The chipper commercial features a carefree young woman pedaling through the McDonalds drive-thru on her cruiser, and purchasing a meal that is packaged conveniently to hang off the handle bar of her bike. Each cardboard unit (not-so-cleverly called the McBike) is built to hold a small fry, a burger and a drink—a sort of happy meal for cyclists. The new bike-friendly packaging, which has launched in both Copenhagen and Medellin, was designed by Tribal Buenos Aires, an advertising agency based out of Argentina.

But what caused the sudden shift in McDonalds’ packaging? It turns out that the massive company is looking to trigger a rebrand of sorts, in an effort to engage customers who are more inclined to dine at fast causal restaurants, such as Chipotle and Shake Shack. According to Walter Ioli of Tribal Buenos Aires, “McDonald’s is trying to reach a new segment. We found that the bike was one of the preferred means of transportation for millennials, so it was important that McDonald’s adapts to the new habits of its consumers.” Next, the McBike will launch in Amsterdam and Tokyo.